Interview with Presbyterian professor Larry Brown, at African Bible College in Lilongwe, Malawi
Carmen Fowler LaBerge, Layman, July 26, 2011
One week ago, the normally peaceful central African nation of Malawi was rocked by civil unrest.
In the end, 18 people were dead. The Layman was able to connect with Larry Brown, a professor at African Bible College in the capital city of Lilongwe.
Larry, can you tell us what’s happening in Malawi from your perspective?
For the past two years it has been increasingly hard to buy petrol (gasoline) or diesel fuel. At first it was only sporadic, now it’s chronic, and it takes waiting in line all day to get your fuel. It’s blamed on a shortage of forex (foreign exchange). A few months ago the British High Commissioner (ambassador) was deported for criticizing the country’s president. There are political difficulties, such as a split between the president and vice-president. This has always been a donor-driven economy, and in response to certain actions by the government here, the countries that have been supporting Malawi started withdrawing their aid. The main export has been tobacco, and tobacco prices have dropped. The economy is in distress, and most Malawians were living on about a dollar a day anyway. At least Malawi now has a free press and opposition political parties, and the government is receiving much criticism from them. There was an attempt to have a peaceful nationwide demonstration last week, and it turned into two days of rioting. There is uncertainty about the future.
On Friday, I was amazed at how quickly and completely everything returned to normal, following two days of rioting, in which 18 people across the country died. We hear rumors that it is going to happen all over again on Aug. 17, but I’m sure the police and army will be out in force to prevent anything major from happening. We feel quite safe on our compound.
Remind our readers what you’re doing in Malawi?
I teach at African Bible College. I first arrived in February of 1993, so it’s been over 18 years.
Is it true that Malawi has never had a war?
They’ve never gone to war with another country. It is rare for two African countries to go to war with one another. Most of the conflicts in Africa that Westerners hear about tend to be internal. There have been a few domestic disturbances here that involved calling out the military. I remember “Operation Bwezani” from December 1993. The army came out of the barracks shooting, and it kept up for a weekend, but on Sunday evening, having achieved their objective, they returned to their quarters and hung up their weapons.
Aren’t there more NGO’s (non-government organization) operating in Malawi than virtually anywhere else in the world?
Perhaps. One sees many vehicles with NGO logos painted on the side. I really cannot answer this, as I have not been all over the world. I do know that they’ve been receiving aid from just about every Western and/or developed country in the world, even Ireland and Iceland. I went for a walk with the Icelandic guy last week. Also, I’ve heard criticism that NGOS will hire a person with training and skills that are in short supply and then use him/her to do desk work or as a driver, paying that person more than what they would make working at their professions.
Do you see the presence of NGO’s as positive or negative in terms of the self-development of the people, government and church?
I don’t think there’s any doubt that NGOs have done important work here, but I’ve heard that often there was insufficient consultation with indigenous leaders. In the time that I’ve been here, I’ve seen Malawi develop a sizable middle class. Until recently everybody had this donor-community mentality; now they’re learning what a private sector can do. I don’t see the large number of beggars that I encountered in the early days. The major denominations – Catholic, Anglican, and Presbyterian – receive massive infusions of aid from Western “parent” churches. But the “African Instituted Churches (AICs)” stand on their own and in fact seem to be flourishing.
How influential is the church in Malawi?
Extremely. Unlike the West, religion is very important in this part of the world. The church no longer controls education the way it used to, but it still has a major influence on public opinion. The statistics give figures like 80 percent Christian and 15 percent Muslim. Islam is more influential than those figures would indicate, as they tend to be the business class. The dictatorship that was in place from 1964 to 1994 fell largely because of the initiative of the church.
How are Presbyterians involved in what’s happening now?
Presbyterians from other counties work under and with indigenous leadership and only under their sponsorship. I think there is, for example, a strong link between the PCUSA and the Blantyre Synod, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP). CCAP is also in communication with and receives aid from Presbyterian denominations in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Taiwan, Korea, and of course, South Africa.
The leadership of the CCAP is aware that the theology and social activism of the PCUSA is at odds with what they believe. I know that the Presbyterians are the largest denomination in the country, because Scots missionaries got here first, in the 1870s. There will be partnerships between individual U.S. congregations and Malawian churches and para-church organizations. African Bible College has a strong (but unofficial) PCA link.
How can Christians in the U.S. be praying for Christians in Malawi?
Pray that they will act with wisdom and restraint in the coming months, and will use their influence to restore stability and maintain peace. Pray that they will demonstrate Christ when under stress, and not retaliate if provoked or mistreated. Pray that the economic and political developments will improve the current conditions, rather than led to further deterioration. Pray that the relationships between donors and Malawi will be restored.
Are there other ways in which we might offer tangible support?
There is always a shortage of medicine and medical/dental supplies. My observation has been, however, that because the transportation and distribution system, it is not highly developed outside the urban areas, there is a problem getting “tangible support” to the areas where it would be most needed. This problem is aggravated by the fuel shortage described above.
What we don’t need are lots of people coming for one or two-week mission trips. Nailing boards together, pushing wheelbarrows, painting churches — Malawians can do those things. What we need are people who have specific, relevant skills: auto mechanics, IT specialists, doctors, RNs, building construction supervisors and people with building and mechanical maintenance expertise. We’re always short of “fix-it” people. It would also help if they can stay longer than just a few weeks.
Most importantly: Keep informed of the situation and pray.